Til Death Do Us Part
by remembrallvsthesilence
Summary: Matsuda compares Light and L to an old married couple, Light gets annoyed, and L muses on old memories. And Light. Drabble, no pairings. K for a very brief mention of blood. I own nothing and make no profit from this work.


Til Death Do Us Part

"It's like you're a couple." L can see Light gritting his teeth, hair falling in his face. His fists tighten around a file, the manila folder crinkling, and L tips his head to the side.

_Letting your rage get the better of you, even such small parts? Bad move, Light._

"What are you blabbering on about, Matsuda?" Light asks, and his voice is jovial, tired; a mask that L, while having no trouble seeing through, knows will calm the rest of the Force's rising suspicions. It will make L look like a deranged genius, a madman bent on condemning an innocent teenager, a washed-up old man trying to reach for his younger brilliance.

It's a clever ploy, L will admit, and while it irks him to no end that it seems to be working at least half the time, he can't help but wonder where this game will take them next.

"The way you guys act together," Matsuda replies, interrupting L's inner monologue. Just as well, he was so distracted he hadn't noticed all his strawberries were gone. Damn. "Those handcuffs have kept you together so long, you've started acting like a couple."

Light raises his eyebrows, Aizawa rolls his eyes, Ida goes back to work. Watari sets a cake and a cup of tea in front of L. He tips his head in thanks. Light flashes off the lenses of Watari's glasses. There is no way to see his eyes, but l does not care. It is Watari, his most trusted friend, his only friend in the world.

_Only, that's not right, is it? I have you now, Light-kun. _

Light flicks a glance at Matsuda, and L studies his profile. He's a very handsome boy- man now, he's becoming an adult, isn't he?- and L can see why all those girls like him. L never had a girlfriend before, but he doesn't think it really matters. There wouldn't be anyone interesting enough to hold his attention anyway. Light though, Light holds his attention just fine.

_You love that, don't you, Light-kun? You think you have me all figured out, wrapped around your little finger?_

"You're an old married couple!" No one is really listening to Matsuda now, but that's alright, because that means at least some work is being done, and L is capable enough to drown out Matsuda's voice with his thoughts. The white noise even helps a little. Huh. Maybe that's why they keep Matsuda around?

L puts his thumb to his mouth, pulls his knees in just a bit more. Light is at a computer no, and he's turned away just enough so that he wouldn't notice L staring unless he looked out of the very corner of his eye. But that would be too suspicious, wouldn't it?

_You think you have me dancing like a puppet, don't you? Just waiting for you to cut the cords. _

L remembers only one other case that has been like this, only one person who caught his attention like Light does. Not for the same reasons, no, but almost.

Light, L decides, is much too much like L himself to have gone unnoticed for long. Light is too much like L, and that means he's too much like Beyond to not be a suspect.

Yes, Light and Beyond Birthday are quite alike, but L can't tell who he fears-hates, loves, he doesn't really now, L's never been very good with emotions- more.

Memories flood him, memories of dark hair, and a slouch to mirror his own. Of red eyes, blood drenched skin, dark hair dripping scarlet. Fingers reaching, scratch, memories of the greatest chase L has had.

Until now.

Because now Light is L's prey, and L is Light's. Beyond hated L just like Light does, he had ties to the shinigami, he was smart, so smart, they both are, were, but L knows he is smarter. Light might have the upper hand, might even destroy L by the end of this great game, this chase they have, but L will win. He won against Beyond Birthday, his own successor, L can beat Light Yagami. Even if it kills him.

"That's funny, Matsuda," Light mutters, and L can hear the eye roll in his voice. He catches the amused-_fake, so fake,_ _can't you do any better, Light-kun?-_ glance Light throws him, a parody of friendliness.

"Till death do we part, eh, L?" _Are you looking forward to my death, Light-kun? _

L blinks, tilts his head. "Of course, Light-kun."

_You'd like that, wouldn't you, Light Yagami?_


End file.
